I'm already involved in too many discussion Lists; but this might be a thread in which I could become interested. I know that the question about the number of languages known was directed at another person. However, through the years -- and there are a few of them, I have been exposed to and have shown in the past a certain facility for German, Spanish, Japanese, Greek (Koine') and Hebrew (Old Testament) in addition to the native American English.I grew up in the household of my paternal grandmother who was German-speaking. Her father was from Bern and her mother was from Hamburg. Each immigrated to the USA in the 1850s as children & met in catechism class at St. John's Lutheran Church in Chester, Illinois. My screen name is taken in part from my grandmother's patronym, Von Gruenigen. She spoke both High and Low German. I have her Luther's Small Catechism and her Hymnal which she received when she was in Confirmation classes in the 1890s.I have lost most of my spoken German; but can still read bits and pieces of it.Today is New Years Day. I miss having the Herring Salad, wursts, and Stollen that my grandmother would prepare for this time of year.

LukeJavan8
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 7141
Loc: Land of the Flat Water

Please don't consider this one thread too many. You have quitea background and the things you say about yourself can makeyou very valuable. Pleae stay with us and when you find yourselfso inclined to contribute, please do so. I, for one, am veryinterested to see what you say. Often times we are left withnothing here, and the thread dies. Sometimes just someone pointing us another direction and off we go. You can be thatperson. Thanks for staying! Happy New Year.

I grew up in the household of my paternal grandmother who was German-speaking. Her father was from Bern and her mother was from Hamburg.

That must have been an interesting mixture of Schweizer Deutsch and a heavily Platt influenced Deutsch. Be kind of like having a father from upper-class London and a mother from Dublin.

Over here, I suppose that it might be like a father from "Down East" and a mother from south Alabama. But, yes, I remember hearing "wie geht es einen" and "vo gehen sie," meaning essentially the same thing.

Like you I have been a Hebrew and Koine scholar, though my Hebrew is rather bad nowadays. I also know Spanish. The Pookwife speaks fluent German (Hoch Deutsch mainly), having lived there and visited friends there many times also. I understand a little German but not much.

I love rollmop salad (Dutch but much the same I guess). The Pookwife has made stollen in the past. I also love Germknoedl (don't know how to spell it but it's delicious). Can't say I like Saurkraut though. It's pretty disgusting.

Like you I have been a Hebrew and Koine scholar, though my Hebrew is rather bad nowadays. I also know Spanish. The Pookwife speaks fluent German (Hoch Deutsch mainly), having lived there and visited friends there many times also. I understand a little German but not much.

I love rollmop salad (Dutch but much the same I guess). The Pookwife has made stollen in the past. I also love Germknoedl (don't know how to spell it but it's delicious). Can't say I like Saurkraut though. It's pretty disgusting.

Why Hebrew & Greek? A domine, perhaps?

Don't the Dutch have a dish that is essentially saurkraut served on top of mashed potatoes?

I can recall sneaking down to the basement where my grandmother "brewed" her saurkraut in a 20 gallon crock, lifting the cover of cheesecloth, and sampling the raw kraut. Aaaah! Delish!

I've never heard "wie geht es einen." I've heard "wie geht es Ihnen," which means "How is it going?" polite style, often shortened in more infromal contexts to "wie geht's?" "Wo gehen Sie?" is the polite version of "where are you going?" Both are pretty much standard Hochdeutsch.

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